1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector, to a connector assembly and to assembling methods therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,054 discloses a connector with means for correcting the position of a terminal fitting that has been inserted insufficiently into a housing. More particularly, a correcting member is inserted into the housing at a right angle to an inserting direction of the terminal fitting. The correcting member has a slanted surface that contacts the insufficiently inserted terminal fitting and moves the terminal fitting to a proper position.
Some connectors have a first housing fixed to a vehicle body or the like and a second housing that is pushed into the first housing for connection. The second housing of the above-described connector may be difficult to push depending on the orientation of the first housing.
Some such connectors have a slider mounted on one housing for movement perpendicular to a connecting direction. The slider has a cam groove that engages a cam on the other housing. Movement of the slider creates a cam effect to facilitate connection of the two housings.
An attempt could be made to apply the means for correcting the positions of the terminal fittings to the above-described connector. However, a correcting member needs to be provided in addition to the slider, thereby presenting a problem of increasing the number of parts.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0136714 discloses a connector with a female housing, a male housing and a slider to connect and separate the housings. The slider is inserted and withdrawn in directions intersecting with a connecting direction of the two housings. Cavities are formed in a housing main body of the female housing for receiving female terminal fittings. A retainer for retaining the female terminal fittings in the cavities is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body.
However, in the construction as above, the retainer must be provided in addition to the slider to retain the female terminal fittings, thereby presenting a problem of increasing the number of parts.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to provide a suitable operability while avoiding an increase in the number of parts.